


The Rat

by Fhujeth



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Brotherly Love, Friendship, Gen, Mentioned Russia (Hetalia), Music, Nationverse, Queen (Band) References, Soviet Union
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:28:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22574833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fhujeth/pseuds/Fhujeth
Summary: It's the late 70s and Lithuania and Latvia are hiding out in a secret place they've had for years. Listening to contraband, taking a break from the real world, and just trying to forget reality for just a little bit. They're surprised they've been able to keep their secret place hidden for all this time, that is until something happens.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 14





	The Rat

“I swear, I don’t know what we would do without this place...” Lithuania sighed relief as he pulled off a piece of bread and passed it over to Latvia, “Imagine what Russia would do if he found out about this place?”

Deep in the confines of Russia’s cellar laid a secret room, dug out of the wall and buried deep behind centuries of old and worthless trash. A small sanctuary that Latvia and Lithuania had built for themselves, with the intent to escape the gruelling horror house they had been forced to live in once, and now lived in again.

Latvia took back the bread and plucked a piece for himself before putting it down on an old cloth, “Yeah,” he agreed, “I’m surprised he hasn’t even found out about it yet. If he did he’d have our heads, and I need mine.” He put the piece of bread in his mouth and bent over towards a stack of records wrapped in old linens, “Elvis?”

“Queen?” Lithuania requested back, to Latvia’s suggestion as he blew on his own hands to warm them up. 

It was winter and they were underground, although sheltered from the snow or other elements, it was still dark and cold. A few candles were carefully placed away from their precious vinyl and other ‘contraband’ items to light the room. A small box of non-perishables and other snacks they’d been able to smuggle out of Russia’s kitchen sat beside them. Truly the place they were in would land them in hot water if it was found out they had it, but thankfully, so far, they hadn’t been caught.

“Geez, you really like them, huh?” Latvia did his best to find one of their records in the stack and when he did, carefully placed it on the turntable and began to turn the crank, “If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to get a few more next month, I can’t say for sure but I think Queen even released a new album.”

Lithuania was silent for a good minute, and if the room were any lighter, maybe, just maybe you could see his eyes light up with joy, “S-Seriously?”

“No promises!” Latvia let the record player start and suddenly the crevice they were in was filled with the sweet voice of Freddie Mercury and outstanding instrumentals.

The music was still kept pretty quiet though, to help ensure that someone may be getting something from the cellar or if it echoed too loud, or really anything. Keeping it quiet was the best they could do to protect themselves. 

“When I get out of here, I want to see them live, in concert.” Lithuania’s voice sounded heavy as he fought back tears, the lyrics to ‘We Are the Champions’ smacking him in the face with emotion. “It’d make my life...”

Latvia sat back and leaned against the wall, “You mean ‘if’...” He took the bread back into his hands and ripped off another piece, “I didn’t know you still had any hopes or aspirations left, Lith.” He held the bread out for Lithuania to take it.

Lithuania ignored the bread, his heart and mind lost in the music. He felt his eyes begin to burn as tears formed in the pits of his eyes and he looked away, hiding his face from Latvia’s view.

Unlike Lithuania, Latvia was used to being occupied. Although the USSR was probably the worst occupation he ever had to endure, it still wasn’t anything new. Latvia returned the bread to its resting place and let out a deep breath, enjoying the quiet melody of whichever song had come on next. That was until there was a strange, unfamiliar sound coming from the entrance to their cavern.

“S-Shit.” Latvia immediately stopped the music and he quickly blew out all of the candles except one smaller one, “Shit, shit, Lith, stop crying.” He whispered in panic, “Something’s out there.”

Whatever emotion Lithuania had been feeling before was immediately quelled the moment he saw Latvia react to the noise. His eyes widened and he tense up, his mind starting to rush. “Dammit.” Lithuania hissed under his breath, his heart racing. He silently closed his eyes and prayed to the Gods it was just the wind, but the sound began to grow louder.

Scratches, movement, and other awkward noises came closer as Latvia and Lithuania sat, quietly, waiting. Waiting for their impending doom. They’d never planned an escape route and now they were caught. Russia was going to punish them, punish them in ways they’d never probably experience. It was going to happen, it’s going to happen. 

Both states gulped hard and braced themselves as the noise came closer… and yet, the entrance hadn’t opened.

They exchanged a glance towards one another, looking towards the gateway from Hell to their little slice of Heaven. Latvia motioned his head towards the entrance and took a deep breath, going closer to the sound. 

Lithuania couldn’t look and turned away, he didn’t want to see what would happen to the only other surviving Baltic country. He prayed, to his Gods, to the other God, to anyone, that things would be okay.

...and they were…

“It’s a rat…” Latvia crept back closer to Lithuania, the dark shadowy figure of a decent-sized rat crawling out from their shelter, “Geez, I thought it was something else…” 

Lithuania felt like he was about to have a heart attack and he laid down against the freezing cold floor, letting the icy cement help bring him back to reality. He felt sick to his stomach, light-headed, like he was going to pass out.

“I think I’m going to faint…” Latvia muttered, relieved, yet he’d also been taken off guard and terrified by the animal. “Jesus Christ… I thought this was it.”

Lithuania let out a weak chuckle, oh how the Gods hated him. It was almost funny, in fact, it was funny. He chuckled again, his life was a joke. 

“Lith?” Latvia wiped the sweat from his forehead with his free hand and used the candle in his other to reignite the others. 

“Just a rat…” Lithuania laughed quietly to himself, “A Goddamned Rat...” His mind was in shock.

“It’s okay lil’ guy…” Latvia said, holding out just the smallest piece of bread, “You gave us quite the scare--” His voice sounded like he was almost on the verge of tears too, but he was used to occupation, “It’s cold out there.”

The rat stared at Latvia, and Latvia stared at the rat, and for a moment, there felt a connection made.

“Do you want some bread?” He didn’t want to get too close in case it would bite him, but he continued to hold out the bread, “We don’t have a lot of bread because we live with an asshole who won’t share, but we’ll share with you.”

The rat moved closer towards Latvia, it had a dark grey coat, with little pink hands and feet, and a super long tail. It sniffed the air again and made its way nervously towards the bread.

“Just a rat…” Lithuania muttered, the sheer fear of everything had made him drowsy and he began to feel himself doze off.

Latvia smiled through some tears as the rodent took the bread from him, “It’s good, right? We stole it, so don’t tell anyone.” He talked to the thing as if it was a person, “You must be cold…” Latvia said, checking a watch around his wrist. “It’s not much warmer but you can stay in here if you want! Just don’t tell anyone about it, not even Estonia.”

The rat didn’t reply, it simply ate the bread.

“We actually need to get out of here now before Russia starts to wonder when we went but I’ll come back and bring something for you! You can watch the place if you want to.” Latvia nudged Lithuania, “Right, Lith?”

Lithuania didn’t respond, he was still in shock from the emotional rollercoaster ride he had just experienced.

“You really freaked him out.” Latvia admired the rat and reached out and pet it.

Surprisingly, the rat didn’t jump at being touched or even run away. Even after it ate the bread it just sat there staring at the two with its big black eyes.

Latvia smiled at it before standing up and moving over to Lithuania, giving him a decent strength kick in the arm to get him to snap out of it. “We gotta go.”

Like a zombie, Lithuania adjusted himself and sat up, running his fingers through his hair and taking a deep breath. “Right…” Too much was going on and all he could do was shake his head and stand up. “Yeah…” He pinched a few of the candles out with his fingers and left the rest for Latvia to handle, “He’ll probably be looking for me first, so you close up down here.”

“I’m coming now, don’t worry!” Latvia left the bread for the rat, “I’ll bring some water later for you,” Latvia started to blow out the candles, “We try to come here often so make sure the place stays safe.”

Lithuania stepped out and took a deep breath of the fresher air that was outside of their cramped little hole in the wall and mindlessly started to work his way through the old Russian trash of the basement. 

“Wait!” Latvia cried, the rat had jumped on his leg, “He won’t let go.” Latvia picked the rat off and put him onto the ground, “You have to stay here.” He scolded it.

Lithuania made his way back to Latvia, a gloomy, tired look across his face, “Stop playing.” 

“I’m not, I’m no--” The rat jumped back onto Latvia’s leg and scurried up his shirt and onto his head, “He won’t leave me alone!”

With a sigh, Lithuania stared at the rat. It was peculiar behaviour for such a thing but what was he to judge. He was a personification of a freaking country. “Huh…” Lithuania turned away and started back on his own, “I don’t know about this.” 

“Just help me get him off me!” Latvia panicked pulling it off his head and sticking it back into the room, “Please, you have to stay, I’ll come back soon, I promise.”  
The rat stared at Latvia, Latvia back at the rat.

“I’ll bring food and water and you’ll be my new friend!” 

This time the rat stayed, even as Latvia began to push a few of the things against the opening to their little room of contraband, “I’ll be back!” 

After closing up the room, Latvia followed Lithuania back up to their Hellscape. Hopefully, now their little home in the wall would become even homier.

**Author's Note:**

> Loosely based on some random stuff. Latvia was a central hub for contraband music during the USSR, as in they produced a lot of illegal records to spread around the USSR so people could have music from the outside world. Getting caught with music would wind you in prison or potentially worse, so they're enjoying it in secret. If they got caught, they'd have no idea what would happen but they both know it's not pleasant. This was written as a response to an ask on my ask blog. I say last surviving Baltic as Lithuania and Latvia are the only two actual Baltic nations left (from an ethnic, cultural, language, etc side).


End file.
